Be prepared for ticks this summer [Editorial]

While out enjoying the warm weather, hiking and working in the yard, make sure to be taking the proper precautions to avoid one of this season's well-known creatures from latching on.

Ticks are an unfortunate part of summer, and if not caught quickly can cause serious harm to both people and pets. Luckily, there are different things you can do to help try to deter them for burrowing in, but it is also important to be thorough once getting back indoors and doing full check of the body and hair.

An easy thing pet owners can do is to apply a topical treatment or to get them a flea and tick collar prior to our furry friends heading outdoors, and checking them when they come back inside. If you find a tick, you can remove it using tweezers. If there is a concern about your pet contracting Lyme disease, take him or her to their vet to get a blood test.

•Check your pets for ticks daily, especially after they spend time outdoors.

•If you find a tick on your dog, remove it right away.

•Ask your veterinarian to conduct a tick check at each exam.

•Talk to your veterinarian about tick borne diseases in your area.

•Reduce tick habitat in your yard.

•Talk with your veterinarian about using tick preventives on your pet.

For humans, it is important to do a complete check once back indoors that includes the scalp, where ticks can hide very easily under hair. Ticks tend to look for creases in the skin, like armpits or the groin area, so those should be checked as well. As a precaution, it is always good to wear clothing that covers the skin like long sleeves and pants, and wearing a lighter color will make it easier to spot a tick if one latches on to your clothes.

Some tips from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about humans include:

•Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you.

•Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas. Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.

•Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs.

•Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks. (Some research suggests that shorter drying times may also be effective, particularly if the clothing is not wet.)